Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
by BlackJack983
Summary: A novelization of Solid Snake's final mission. Snake is aging rapidly, with only a year left to live. Before he dies, the legendary solider must face his enemy, to complete his final mission...
1. Chapter 1: Debriefing

Chapter 1: Debriefing

Solid Snake, in a suit, walks towards a gravestone. Looking at the stone, Snake gives a salute to the grave. Suddenly, flashes of his father, Big Boss, appear in his mind. Much like Snake, he is saluting to another grave. Who he is saluting to, he can not say. Leafs suddenly started blowing around the air, and Snake turned to see the cause.

A KA-60 Katsaka was making it's landing behind him. The door opened, and Dr. Hal Emmerich, or Otacon as he is called, exit's the helicopter. Wearing a white coat with a turtleneck underneath, Otacon's expression seems grim.

"Otacon," Snake said. "Even the dead have ears."

"Snake," Otacon said. "We have to go. You've got a old friend waiting for you." Adjusting his glasses, he and Snake walk towards the Katsaka.

As he walked to the waiting helicopter, Snake's features are visible. The man was visibly aging, with wrinkled skin and a tired look. He asked, "Otacon…the test results…"

Stopping in his tracks, Otacon turns around. "Proteome analysis was positive. But the mRNA analysis turned up negative." Looking at the disheartened Snake, he continued. "The wrinkled skin, the hardened arteries... Your early aging symptoms look like classic Werner's syndrome. But none of the tests were able to pinpoint the cause."

"So?"

"Well... Judging by how rapidly the aging has progressed, I'd say... "

Continuing his walk to the Katsaka, Snake examines his hand. Once, he had felt strong, superior to all else. But now, Snake was weakening, his body getting ever weaker. "A year at best, right?"

His head hung in defeat, Otacon admitted, "Yeah."

A moment of silence hung over the two men. For nine years, they had traveled around the world, destroying the nuclear menaces known as Metal Gear. Snake had defeated mechanized machines with hardened armor and machine guns, but was now his body was succumbing to old age. A white pedal lands in Snake's hand, and he crushes it.

"Snake…let's try another doctor."

"It won't make any difference. I'm not an ordinary man to begin with. Not to mention FOXDIE." Flashes of Kenneth Baker, president of Arms-Tech, and Liquid Snake, his brother flashed through his mind. FOXDIE, a virus that was injected into him as part of his mission nine years ago. Because of it, several members of FOXHOUND and the Arms-Tech president died.

"You're right. But we don't know where Naomi is."

"Naomi…" Naomi Hunter, the one who injected FOXDIE into him, but for revenge. Revenge for crippling her foster brother, Frank Jaeger. Walking inside the helicopter, he finds a pleasant surprise. Colonel Roy Campbell, his former commanding officer in FOXHOUND, was waiting. Wearing a brown suit, he greets Snake with a handshake, and help the old solider into his seat.

"Ah Snake," Campbell said.

"Colonel!" Snake exclaimed. "Good to see you."

Taking his seat, Otacon closes the door. He motions to the pilots to take off, and fly away from the cemetery.

"Well,…I'm not a colonel anymore, Snake."

"I figured the only place I'd ever see you dressed like that would be at your daughter's wedding. What are you doing these days?"

"I'm working for an organization under the UN Security Council... ...The analysis and assessment staff of the PMC Oversight and Inspection Committee."

"I remember the resolution being passed a few years ago."

Looking away, his demeanor turns grim. It's as if a dark cloud is hovering over Campbell's head. "Snake... I came across some information in my work. We've found him... In the Middle East."

Snake stares at Campbell for a long time. Everything was quiet, minus the sound of the Katsaka's rotors. It was Otacon who broke the silence.

"Liquid's made his move," Otacon said. "We found him."

Flashes of Liquid flow into Snake's mind. A product of the Les Infants Terribles project, Liquid Snake was given the inferior genes. Big Boss called him weak, saying he will never measure up to Solid Snake. This resentment lead to his death at Shadow Moses, and his rebirth in the U.S.S. _Missouri_.

"I'll explain along the way," Campbell said. "We've got to stop him. ...Now...Before it's too late." Looking at Snake, he explained, "He's preparing to unleash his insurrection. Liquid is lying in wait in a Middle Eastern war zone. Track him down."

In the _Nomad_, Philanthropy's base, a little girl was in a kitchen. Cooking several eggs, Sunny Emmerich decided to leave the top open.

"Only two eggs today?" Sunny asked. "Solidus must have taken the day off. " Humming a song, Sunny debated whether or not to add salt to the eggs.

In the interior of the _Nomad_, Snake was took his seat. Otacon and Campbell soon followed. Litting up a cigarette, Snake listened as Campbell explained the situation.

"The Manhattan incident triggered a serious public backlash," he said. "Now the US has to think twice before intervening militarily in other countries' affairs. This has fueled a push towards military privatization, with PMCs at the heart of that movement."

"PMCs," Snake said. "Private Military Companies."

"Exactly." Taking a sip of water, Campbell continued. "PMCs have no basis in nations or ideologies. They are private enterprises, driven by profit. In addition to dispatching mercenaries to war zones, they secure weapons and train local soldiers. They're contractors for war itself, and business is good. Their clientele includes developed nations like the US, rebel factions looking to seize power by force... Smaller countries lacking armies of their own... Even terrorist groups."

"So how far they reach?"

"They're in the Americas, Asia, the South Pacific, Europe, Africa, the Middle East... The rise of the PMC has spawned a war by proxy, and it's spreading across the globe."

Walking down with a plate of poorly prepared eggs, Sunny held them in front of Otacon.

"They're ready," Sunny announced.

"Sorry," Otacon said. "I'm a little busy."

"The Pentagon's new battlefield control system has produced a decisive difference," Campbell explained. "Between hired guns and the PMCs of today. The system was developed by Arms-Tech Security."

"Arms-Tech?" Snake asked. "You mean AT Corp?"

Looking at Snake and Campbell, Sunny wondered if they would want her eggs. Trying to get their attention, they keep talking, ignoring her. Walking up stairs, Sunny slams the plate into a cooking table. Seeing and ashtray filled with cigarettes, she reaches for it. A lone cigarette falls out, and Sunny quickly stomps it.

"So, they've finally achieved total real-time battlefield control?" Snake asked.

"Yes. And as a result, the global presence of PMCs has grown explosively. Truth is, the rise of system-controlled PMCs has led to a dramatic decline in civilian casualties and human rights violations on the battlefield."

"A cleaner, safer battlefield," Snake grumbled. Makes for nice propaganda."

Walking back to the top of the stairs, she announces, "Snake, you were smoking again, weren't you? This is non-smoking flight!"

"It's hard to believe," Campbell said. "I know, but PMCs are beginning to overtake conventional armies in terms of scale. Nowadays it's the PMCs who serve as standard battalions. They already make up sixty percent of all combatant forces in zones of conflict."

"Sixty percent…"

"The fact is the world now depends largely on PMCs for waging its wars."

"I thought it was the U.N. that authorized the PMCs in the first place."

"The U.S. abstained from voting on that resolution. In effect, Washington was endorsing PMCs without ever revealing its true intentions. Until they got wind of the uprising, that is."

Snake placed his cigarette in an ashtray, and pulled out another. "The U.S. has exported too much military power. And now she's paying the price."

"That's exactly it." Campbell paused, trying to catch his breath. He had been talking for so long, he didn't know how much time had passed. Taking another sip of his water, the old man continued. "America has now turned war into a form of economic activity. Analysts are calling it the "war economy," in that it's picking up the slack for the downward-sloping oil market. But I, for one, don't intend to simply stand by and watch it happen. For the PMCs, market expansion entails fanning the flames of war... It means more refugees."

"War orphans…"

"Yes. Even as PMC soldiers get more specialized, they're also getting younger."

"Mercenaries spun off from state armies, unmanned weapons, child soldiers... Proxy battles in a new Cold War."

"There are hundreds, if not thousands of PMCs. The top five companies are run by a single mother company…Outer Heaven."

Snake almost dropped his cigarette when he heard that name. "Outer Heaven? You mean...!"

"Yes…Liquid. Your brother."

Flashes of Liquid possessing Revolver Ocelot flashed in Snake's mind. It happened whenever Snake was near by, and lasted only for a few minutes when he left. The last time he met Liquid, it seemed he had taken complete control over Ocelot.

"He's taken command of this immense army and is now preparing to unleash an insurrection."

"I watched him die. FOXDIE killed him."

"His will lives on - in the body of the man once known as Ocelot. He aims to fan the flames of war even higher - to create the perfect world once envisioned by Big Boss. Do you understand, Snake? Any means necessary. Just stop Liquid's insurrection. Even if it means…"

Looking at Campbell, Snake knew what his old friend was requesting. "Killing him? You want Liquid dead. Isn't that right, Colonel?"

Looking away, Campbell continued. "I'm sorry. I know... This isn't justice. It's a covert assignment - a hired hit. A wet works op targeting the head of a major multinational corporation." Pulling out a folder, Campbell laid it out on the table for Snake to see. "Your first objective is to make contact with our informants, Rat Patrol Team Zero One. They'll be expecting you."

"Friends of yours?"

"Yes. If word of this ever leaked out, it would spark a global firestorm. Snake... Will you do this for me? Will you terminate Liquid?"

Snake thought about it. Five years, that's how long he has searched for Liquid. "I'm not like the PMCs. I don't need your money." Turning to Campbell, he pulled out a cigarette. "But if you're gonna spark something, spark this."

Campbell shoot his head no.

"Fine, I'll start my own fire."


	2. Chapter 2: Infiltration

Chapter 2: Infiltration

In the not too distant future, on a tired battlefield, war has become routine, fought by both men and machines. An empty, blackened sky hangs above a dusty and damaged road. A convoy of trucks, carrying militia rebels, drive to the battlefield. In one of the trucks, a strangely calm man, wearing a cloak and smoking a cigarette, can be seen in one of the trucks.

"War has changed," the man thought. Looking up from his seat, helicopters can bee seen, shooting their payloads at enemy troops. "It's no longer about nations, ideologies, or ethnicity. It's an endless series of proxy battles fought by mercenaries and machines." A loud moo can be heard from the distance, not a good sign to those who knew it's meaning. "War - and its consumption of life - has become a well-oiled machine."

Suddenly, a missile was shot by a chopper, and coming towards the truck. The vehicle barley dodged the projectile, and went back on course.

"War has changed. The age of deterrence has become the age of control... All in the name of averting catastrophe from weapons of mass destruction. And he who controls the battlefield... Controls history."

The truck stopped, and militiamen began pouring out of it. Almost immediately, they were gunned down by the PMC soldiers. The shadowy man wearing the cloak is the last to exit the truck and immediately takes cover. As the slaughter continues, more trucks full of militia soldiers appear on the scene. PMC soldiers who have taken up strategic positions in abandoned buildings clearly have the advantage.

But the militiamen keep fighting on, shooting at the PMC troopers with their Aks. The man took aim with his own rifle, and pulled the trigger. Finding that he can't shoot for some strange reason, he dropped it, and pulled out his stun knife. Then, the sounds of cows and cicadas can be heard again in the distance. And before they knew it, the militiamen found themselves against two Metal Gear Gekko robots.

"Crap!" a militiaman said. "They brought out the lizards!"

"Shoot their legs," another called out. "It's the only chance we got."

Running away from the scene, the cloaked man found himself cornered by a Gekko. Breaking through a wall, the Gekko blows the cloak off of the man. Solid Snake, wearing a new Octo-Camo sneaking suit, found himself in serious trouble.

"Damn!" Snake exclaimed.

Running up the stairs, Snake found himself in the grip of the Gekko's manipulator claw. When the machine tried to go on the stairs, the structure fell apart, and the Gekko lost it's grip on Snake. Reaching the second level of the building, Snake's jaw dropped when he saw another Gekko heading his way. Hiding in a corner, Snake's sneaking suit is activated. Covering his head, the sneaking suit allows the user to camouflage themselves from even the most advanced heat sensors.

Finding the second level empty, the two Metal Gears scanned the area. Where was the soldier? Picking up a cigarette, the Gekko threw it aside. Seeing heat surrounding a box, the Gekko smash it to bits. It was filled with watermelons, nothing unusual.

Seemingly disappointed, the two Gekko leap high into another building, and left. A single unscaved watermelon rolls across the ground and hits Snake's leg. It suddenly changes colors to mimic the colors of the watermelon. Snake stands up and retrieves his cigarette. His suit reverts back to a default state of camouflage as he walks to the edge of the building.

Three helicopters fly across the sky as Snake overlooks the war torn city. Discovering another exit, Snake jumps down into an alleyway from a hole in the wall on the second floor of the building. Looking to his right, he sees a dead militiaman with an AK-102 next to him. Snake retrieves his knife begins carefully checking underneath the weapon to see if it's booby trapped before picking it up. After examining the weapon itself and the current ammunition in the clip, Snake readies the gun and turns around to look up mysteriously at the sky.

Taking a huff of his cigarette, Snake suddenly hears a ringing in his ear. Crouching down in a safe spot, he answers the codec call.

"This is Snake. Do you read me?"

"What's the situation?" Otacon asked.

"I'm just inside the city limits. This place is crawling with lizards."

"AT Corp's unmanned bipedal weapons. Officially designated "Irving" by the US military. They've spread like wildfire among the PMCs. There are more of those things now in service than tanks. They've got tough armor plating and are highly agile to boot, and your best bet is to stay out of their sights."

"Unmanned... Pretty soon they'll have put living, breathing soldiers out of work."

"Even so, that's an awful lot of Gekko for this scenario. Their numbers exceed the war price for that region. It must have something to do with Liquid's arrival on the scene."

Snake frowned. Taking another huff of his cigarette, he asked, "You really think he's here?"

"You'll have to find the Army's operatives and ask them yourself. Oh, and Snake? I went ahead and used the to scout out the area before your arrival. You'll find it up ahead."

"?"

"It's a remote mobile terminal. Sunny and I built it. The will provide you with a map of the area as well as any battle situation data. You should find it before you do anything else."

"OK. Got it."

"The rendezvous point is just up ahead, a few block from where you are. It'll be waiting for you there."

Getting up, Snake crept around the building. PMC troops can be seen fighting the militiamen, but that wasn't his concern. He managed to walk away unnoticed. A Stryker then appeared, more PMC troopers poured out of the rear, and took their positions. Getting a nearby bottle, Snake threw it at the trooper's foot, to divert their attention.

Taking this opportunity, Snake ran through the building, being careful no to step or trip anything. Seeing a trooper guarding an exit, he activated his camo function. He never noticed Snake crawling behind him, and snapping his neck. Snake continued to use his camo, sneaking around enemy troopers until he reached his target. Deactivating his suit, Snake readied his AK, in case if he missed anything.

Hugging the wall, Snake examined the streets outside. It was a mess, dead troopers or militiamen lay dead, and the ones still alive fought against a force heavily armed, backed by another Stryker. Suddenly, a soft sound came from behind. Snake quickly took aim, and waited. It was a small robot, with a miniscreen displaying Otacon's face.

"Snake, it's me," Otacon said.

"Otacon?" Snake said, in confusion.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Snake. Allow me to introduce Metal Gear ." The robot made spun around, but tripped on it's third spin. "Sorry, it's AI is kinda naive."

"A Metal Gear?" Flashes of Ray, Rex, and others flashed in his mind. Several other models he never seen before were in his mind's eye, such as RAXA, ICBMG, and Peace Walker.

"Yeah, just like Rex. But this Gear's not a weapon. It's a remote mobile terminal designed to provide you with operational support."

"Wish I was good with gadgets."

"Hey, I'll be with you in spirit. Anyway, because you had to dress up as a militiaman, I had the bring you some goodies. " The Metal Gear pulled out what appeared to be an eye patch.

"Looks like an eye patch." Snake strapped it on his left eye. What good would this do?

"I call it the solid eye." The made a motion to it's own eye. "It's an all-purpose goggle that displays radar images and other data in 3D. You can also switch it over to light-amplifying night vision."

Gunshots are heard from outside. Snake stands up and scans the situation with the Solid Eye. The goggle allowed him to determine who was friend or foe. It also allowed him to see what they were armed with, and how much ammunition they had.

"The rebels are out there."

"It looks like they've got the government's PMC troops beat... At least in numbers."

"And this is their home turf."

"Snake... I know this is a sneaking mission, but you'll need to protect yourself." reached into it's pack, and pulled out an Operator.

"An Operator." Checking the gun, Snake saw that it was fully loaded. This one was never touched, unlike all others that went under the control of the system.

"I installed a suppressor. And here's a tranquilizer gun." It was an M9, the same one he used in the Big Shell incident.

"How thoughtful."

"It predates the implementation of the System. By some miracle, it was never recycled. It's getting tough these days, finding decent guns that aren't controlled."

"You coming?"

"Of course. I'll follow you wherever you go. Like this." The suddenly disappeared. Snake moaned. It had stealth camouflage. "I'll activate stealth so it doesn't attract any attention."

"Wish I had stealth."

"Don't worry. Your suit can mimic the color and even texture of anything, and it can hide your body heat. It expect it to outperform the stealth camo. And it also gives out weak electrical currents to your nervous system, amplifying your strength. Anyway…it's a bit of a crutch."

"You can cut the senior citizen crap, Otacon." Holstering both pistols, Snake took his AK and stood up.

"If you need it, just bring up the Codec button menu."

"Got it."

"Snake, the informants who said they saw Liquid here should be a little farther up. Head for the rendezvous point. I've placed a mark on the radar in the upper right corner of the Solid Eye. It's a war zone out there. Stay on your toes."


End file.
